More than 650 Christians leaders from around the globe will be gathering in Southeast Asia for a mission conference focusing on the unreached people.

|TOP|Ethnê '06, to be held on March 7-10, is an initiative of a global network of UPG-focused (Unreached People Groups) people, churches and organisations to energise the body to Christ to continued work among the least reached.

Some of the regional convening groups include China Source, U.S. Centre for World Mission (USCWM), Indonesian Evangelical Alliance, India Mission Association, Malaysian Mission Network, Philippines Mission Association, Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association and among others.

The conference is also the official global UPG intersection for the following global bodies: Lausanne Congress on World Evangelisation’s Least Reached People Special Interest Group, Transform World's Least Reached Peoples Workgroup, and World Evangelical Alliances’ Mission Commission.

"Ethnê" is a greek word for tribe, ethnic group or people. Sources from Ethne say over 27 percent of the world still has almost no access to hear or experience the Good News even after 25 years of emphasis on the unreached.

|AD|The conference therefore aims to provide the opportunity for believers to meet and develop relationships, pray, and plan new strategic initiatives, accelerating the movement of Christ among every people.

Alongside with Ethnê '06, a 12-month prayer initiative beginning June 2006 and ending May 2007 will be launched. It will focus on the Least Reached Peoples (LRPs) of each of 12 geographic regions month-by-month beginning in the east and moving westward.

In addition, mission workers are encouraged to participate in a 90-day strategic harvest effort targeted on the LRPs of each region in parallel with the prayer initiative.

Local church leaders in Southeast Asia have high expectation for Ethnê 06'. A anonymous pastor of a large church was quoted as saying, "Not only will it be our privilege to host leaders from around the world ...we must do so because strategic decisions will be made here that could have global impact!"

Through the conference, Ethnê is looking to launch the above-mentioned 12-month prayer initiative and a new global youth Ethnê meeting in 2007. It also expects the UPG-focused people and networks will encourage each other to implement strategic plans immediately following the prayer focus on their region.







Eunice Or
Christian Today Correspondent